Consumers are encouraged to rid their homes of unsafe, old, and secondhand baby gear and furniture in exchange for a 25 percent discount on the purchase of a new item that meets the latest safety standards. Stores will be accepting used cribs, car seats, strollers, high chairs, infant swings, and other items of the sort.

Starting today, Toys “R” Us Inc. will lower the free shipping minimum required for online orders at toysrus.com and babiesrus.com from $49 to $19. The new free shipping threshold is the lowest the company has offered in recent history (though surcharges may apply on large and heavy items).

Toys “R” Us and Babies “R” Us raised nearly $2.2 million in in-store and online customer donations during the fifth annual nationwide fundraising and awareness campaign benefiting Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF). Established in 2005, ALSF offers support to children affected by cancer worldwide, and to date has raised more than $100 million.

Toys “R” Us will hold its 10th Great Trade-In event, beginning January 23 and continuing through February 21, at Babies “R” Us and Toys “R” Us stores across the U.S. Over the duration of the event, stores will accept any used cribs, car seats, bassinets, strollers, high chairs, infant swings, bouncers, travel systems, walkers, entertainers, and play yards in exchange for 25 percent savings on the purchase of a new baby item, in any of these product categories.

There is no limit to the number of items a customer can trade in. In addition, consumers who do not have items to trade in will receive 15 percent off a new gear or furniture item with an in-store only coupon available on babiesrus.com/greattradein.

Since August 2009, products traded in as part of the Great Trade-In event were missing parts or damaged, while others were decades old or showed obvious signs of wear and tear.

Toys “R” Us plans to open approximately 90 stores, which include new, relocated, and licensed stores. They will be located throughout 21 of the 37 countries and jurisdictions in which Toys “R” Us Inc. currently has a presence through its wholly owned and licensed businesses. The list also includes the company’s first licensed store in Namibia, which opened in October.

Toys “R” Us’ most significant expansion plans for this year are in China and Southeast Asia, where it has already begun operating several of 22 brand-new stores in China and eight planned new locations in Malaysia. By the end of the year, Toys “R” Us will operate 76 stores in 35 cities throughout China.

The new stores that the company plans to open this year include both Toys “R” Us locations and a number of side-by-side formats, which combine Toys “R” Us and Babies “R” Us under one roof. Meanwhile, new store sizes vary by country and range from 3,000 to 45,000 square feet.

New and relocated store locations are scheduled to open this year in the following countries: the U.S., Australia, Canada, China, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Namibia, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Switzerland, and Taiwan.

Toys “R” Us unveiled its plans for the upcoming holiday season. The company will launch a new Rewards “R” Us program for its more than 18 million existing Rewards “R” Us members, and those who sign up in-store or online at toysrus.com/myrewards, who are now able to earn more rewards.

The complimentary Rewards “R” Us program enables members to earn one point per dollar spent at Toys “R” Us or Babies “R” Us locations; for every $125 spent, Rewards “R” Us members receive $5 in “R” Us Rewards. Rewards “R” Us members who are also “R” Us credit cardholders earn two points per dollar spent in-store or online at Toys “R” Us or Babies “R” Us—for a total of $10 for every $125 they spend. In addition, they can enjoy special financing and partake in 10 percent off Thursdays at any “R” Us location.

Toys “R” Us will also introduce online layaway, giving customers the ability to create layaway orders at toysrus.com and babiesrus.com, make subsequent payments either in-store or online, and pick up their order at a local store or have it delivered to their home. [Read more...]

Last week, Toys “R” Us published the 20th anniversary edition of its Toys “R” Us Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids, a complimentary shopping guide for parents, caregivers, and other gift-givers in search of appropriate toys for children with special needs.

Available in both English and Spanish at Toys “R” Us and Babies “R” Us stores nationwide, as well as online at toysrus.com/differentlyabled, the 63-page Guide is packed with everyday playthings selected for their unique ability to help kids build critical skills–such as creative, emotional and cognitive skills–through play. Skill-building icons are paired with each featured toy to help parents select the most developmentally appropriate toys for their kids.

All of the toys in the Guide were vetted in partnership with the National Lekotek Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to making play accessible for children of all abilities. The guide’s 2014 cover features baseball World Champion, father, and special needs advocate Albert Pujols, who appears on the cover alongside Cameron Withers, a five-year-old boy from Southern California.

Toys “R” Us Inc. has reaffirmed its support of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to finding a cure for childhood cancer. Beginning June 1 through July 31, monetary donations will be collected at all Toys “R” Us and Babies “R” Us stores nationwide, and online at toysrus.com/alexslemonade. To celebrate its fourth consecutive year of partnership with ALSF, Toys “R” Us is debuting a new campaign theme and consumer engagement initiative, #Stir4ACure, which invites social media users to spread awareness for the charity by sharing who or what they stir for–whether it’s a cure, a family member, or all children fighting cancer. By joining the effort, participants show support for the cause and for Alexandra “Alex” Scott, the inspiration behind ALSF who “stirred for a cure” for all kids like her before losing her life to cancer at the age of 8. [Read more...]

Heidi Klum, Babies “R” Us, and Operation Shower teamed up to shower 125 expectant military moms-to-be. The shower took place on March 4 at Universal Studios’ Globe Theatre in Los Angeles. The moms representing Navy and Marine bases throughout California received dozens of gifts including those from Klum’s Truly Scrumptious collection, which is available exclusively at Babies “R” Us and online. The attendees also participated in shower games and other activities.

Babies “R” Us will also partner with Operation Shower again this year to honor families of the U.S. armed forces to host baby showers for military wives. To kick off the third year of partnership, the Toys “R” Us Children’s Fund, a public charity affiliated with Toys “R” Us Inc, will provide a $100,000 grant to Operation Shower.

New Products

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (WBIE), TT Games, and The Lego Group will launch Lego Worlds on Feb. 21 for PlayStation4, Xbox One, and STEAM. The game is a galaxy of imaginative words made entirely of digital LEGO bricks where players can explore, discover, and create together.

TILT launched two SpinTales products online at Toysrus.com, the SpinTales Enchanted Duvet and Jungle Rug. Kids can use the free app designed for these products to create immersive augmented reality experiences with the products, which blur the boundaries between the physical and digital worlds.

Jakks Pacific has been granted the rights to manufacture and market a line of pet products inspired by the BOO—The World’s Cutest Dog brand. The Pets division of Jakks is planning a line of BOO-branded dog toys featuring BOO’s likeness and specially designed for small dogs, as well as dog apparel, dog beds, and dog [...]

To celebrate “Colorful Friday” and the launch of the new Special Edition Gemma Stone Shoppie Doll, Moose Toys is launching the “Make the World Sparkle and Shine” fan contest. To enter the contest starting on Nov. 25, fans must submit 4 to 6 sentences describing how they add “sparkle” to their world by helping out [...]

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announced the release of six expansion packs for LEGO Dimensions, led by the Sonic The Hedgehog Level Pack and the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Story Pack.